Keep Your Enemies Closer
by Aneko Kitana
Summary: In an odd turn of events, Dexter becomes trapped in a dark place with his nemesis, Mandark! Can the others in the resistance find them in time? Or will Mandark and Dexter finish each other off first? Can friendship or perhaps something more blossom?DexDar
1. Chapter 1: Pains In His Side

**Keep Your Enemies Closer **

**By: Aneko Kitana**

Dear Readers and Reviewers:

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

**Chapter One: Pains In His Side**

Dimly lit and cold, the laboratory seemed so much lonelier at night. Dexter just had a feeling it was night; it had been gradually getting colder and colder in the lab, signifying the end of the day. He shook himself a bit to awaken his stiff body, his eyelids were heavy and his limbs were starting to shake with fatigue. A heavy sigh extricated itself from the young scientist's lips as he lifted a latex-clad hand to his sweaty brow, wiping away the droplets as he examined his newest creation with a critical air.

"Finally finished…" Dexter said as he slowly put his oversized wrench down on the marble of his workstation. Dexter smiled as he glanced over the sleek finish of the newest design for his weaponry. "Surely Mandy will allow me a reprieve after I start the mass-production stage…" Dexter thought as he slowly started to slump down into his chair. But… his "reprieve" was short lived, at best.

"DEXTER!", came a screechy wail from the opposite side of the laboratory, making Dexter bolt upwards in his swivel chair.

Dexter groaned loudly as he glared over his shoulder at the bane to his existence.

"What are you doing in my la-bor-a-tory this time?" Dexter growled at the tall, lanky frame or his arch-rival, whom he hadn't even addressed in full.

Mandark glowered at the shorter genius as he stalked over to the boy, his long billowy cape swishing behind him as he walked. "I came to get you, _Dexter_… Dee Dee wanted to make sure you were getting out of here…" Mandark explained, as he straitened his rumpled white business shirt and blood-red tie. He spat out Dexter's name as if just the taste of it was horrible, while Dee Dee's name came off his tongue as if it was the greatest thing in the world, his voice going a bit higher in pitch to prove that fact.

"So… my sister bribed you into infiltrating my lab to get me out?" Dexter said as he turned around to face Mandark, his bright orange hair darkening a bit in the dimmed light.

Mandark flinched a bit at the sight of his rival. Dexter looked … "beat", for lack of a better term. Mandark noted that Dexter's usual demeanor was very sluggish, as if he had trouble with moving. He also noted that Dexter was far more rumpled than he initially thought, noting that Dexter had menacingly blackened rings around his eyes from lack of sleep. Also, his usual Russian lilt was sluggish and almost inaudible. But, having been Dexter's nemesis for so long, he could tell what he was saying.

"Yes, Dexter…" Mandark iterated, glancing over Dexter's rumpled white lab coat and trademark purple gloves. He then looked at the object that was glinting just behind Dexter.

"How long have you been working on the Prototype, Dexter?" Mandark asked as he inched closer, trying to not seem threatening to the obviously tired boy.

Dexter glared at him, huffing as he hefted himself to his feet. "What does it matter to you, Mandark? Do you plan on copying my ideas again? Or did you just come down here to mock me… Again."

This time, it was Mandark's turn to huff at his counterpart. "So much for small talk…" Mandark thought as he stopped in his tracks, turning on his heel. "If it's anything to you, _Dorkster_… I didn't want either…" Mandark retorted, only aloud this time.

Dexter sneered, but got up and walked slowly over to Mandark, and glared up at the taller boy. "Is that so? Then pray…tell me, Mandark… Other than my sister, why did you enter my lab?" Dexter pried, trying to get Mandark to spill.

Now, Mandark wasn't one to spill his guts to anyone (unless tortured), and he just sneered right back. "Why should I tell you?"

"You ARE in MY la-bor-a-tory, Mandark…" Dexter retaliated, his accent back to full form due to his obvious disdain for his counterpart. He then started to head deeper into the darkness of his own lab, desperately trying to get FAR away from the annoying banter that Mandark had pressed onto his peace.

Mandark huffed and started to follow him. "Hmm…Dexter seems a lot less feisty today….wonder what Mandy did to him this time?" Mandark questioned himself as he followed.

"Stop following me, Mandark…" Dexter's command cut through the darkness, but his head never turned to acknowledge him.

Mandark stopped for a short moment, and then asked Dexter what had been bugging him. "What's wrong with you today, Dexter? You don't seem like yourself…"

Dexter turned to glare at Mandark, but before he could speak, two more "pains in his side" came dashing into his lab.

Billy, the idiot buffoon side-kick to Mandy herself, was running into his laboratory, flailing a pink ribbon behind him. This scene made Dexter, and Mandark, raise a brow in question. But, just before the exclamations were started, Dee Dee, Dexter's dancing idiot of a sister, came bounding into the laboratory herself. She was screaming, something Dexter had only seen directed at either Mandark or the bullies at his old school. Dexter, and Mandark, flinched as Dee Dee hollered at the buffoon, demanding he return her sash.

"GIVE IT BACK!"

Maniacal, but stupid laughter came garbling out of Billy as he waved his prize about. This, in itself was a horrible idea (duh), which had Dexter's eyes widening. Billy, in his own little world at the moment, was heading towards Dexter's new prototype…which he still had not tested.

"NO! YOU BUFOONS! GET OUT OF MY LA-BOR-A-TORY!"

Mandark snickered softly at the way Dexter strained out the words in his Russian lilt, but then got the idea that Dexter's fear was based off of. If Billy hit the blaster…the resulting ray would spiral right at them.

Billy's hand slapped the ray as he bolted past. The blaster tipped, and fell to the ground. As it struck, the vibrations caused the ray to fire on its own.

Mandark was at a loss for words for what was about to happen next…

With a short burst of energy, from God knows where, Dexter dashed to Mandark and pushed him out of the way of the blast. Being shorter, Dexter was missed by the ray entirely, the shot just going over his head as he was moving forward. But, as they were propelled into a less used corner of the lab, the ray struck a reactor just behind the boys' original position.

**BOOM!!!!!!**

Mandark and Dexter were thrown farther down the corner, rock and debris following them as it erupted from the epicenter, pushing them backwards. The shockwaves were shattering the support beams above them, causing the ceiling to collapse. Luckily (or unluckily) enough, Mandark and Dexter were surrounded instead of crushed, but they were effectively sealed together. Alone. In the darkness.

Mandark merely rolled a bit and came to a stop a ways inside the newly constructed clearing they were now trapped inside; but, Dexter, having borne the brunt of the blast, and being smaller than Mandark, (AN: Sorry Dex. ) rolled farther away and was slammed roughly into the wall just a few feet beyond. His back initially arched, a slight spray of crimson fluid coming from his lips as it opened in a short gasp for air.

Having the wind knocked from his lithe frame, Dexter's vision swam, his glasses falling to the ground with a distinct clack. He wobbled and then slumped back against the wall in a dead faint, a serious throb issuing from his temple and other places in his body as he did. As, Dexter's world went black, he distinctly heard his sister start calling out to him from somewhere beyond the massive barrier of mangled steel.

Mandark heard it too as he slowly tried to push himself up from the ground, coughing hard as the dust started to settle. His eyes squinted in the dark to try and discern where he was, when he realized…….he was trapped! He looked around frantically.

"Dexter!?"

The darkness didn't answer his cry.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~=(^3^)=~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Love it? Hate it? Please review or I will be sicking my rabbid yaoi boy on you! Yay!


	2. Chapter 2: Assessing The Damage

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

**Chapter Two: Assessing The Damage**

Mandark pushed himself to his knees, but when he tried to rise up to full height, he cracked his head on the twisted metal cocoon above him. He grimaced after eliciting a cry of pain, his hands going up to cup the pained appendage gently. He rubbed at the spot he had knocked gently, trying to get the pain to ebb away before trying to see where he was. Mandark looked around after the stars in his eyes blinked out of existence, allowing him enough time to glance around.

"Dexter?..." Mandark called out to the darkness once more, but was again left without an answer. Mandark whimpered, his eyes flitting to and fro in a frantic sort-of way.

You see… Mandark had a little secret, one that even his sister Olga had yet to discover. Mandark was claustrophobic… but, with other people to keep his mind occupied around him, he was always able to overcome that shortcoming. Unfortunately for him, Dexter was unconscious, slumped against the far end of the room, just out of his line of sight.

"Dexter!?" he cried out, a new hint of terror in his voice. Still, he gained no reply, which sent him into overload. Mandark started to breathe harder, and pulled his knees up to his chest as he sat back down. His "freak-out" mode had long since initiated, leaving Mandark scared and trembling in the balled up position his body had adopted.

Little did he know that Dexter, his only companion in this newly constructed prison, was just out of reach… and was starting to awaken from the abyss that had taken him.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Dexter's mind started up abruptly, eyes sliding open just a tad to see only darkness around him. He exhaled heavily and tried to move his body.

Bad Idea.

His eyes shot wide open, teeth set in a tight grimace as a never ending pain started to throb through his back, chest, head, and left side. He groaned softly as his body slumped forward a bit. He let his hands shakily hold him up as he coughed in the darkness. A metallic taste filled his mouth and he spat out some crimson liquid onto the cold granite beneath him, staining it a deep red.

Dexter opened his eyes a little, just enough to see the blurry red splotch just below his head. He coughed a few times more, closing his eyes again as the last of the blood spilled down to be added to the small pool of fluid. After the coughs began to cease, Dexter painstakingly pushed himself back to a sitting position, leaning himself against the cool steel of the wall behind him.

Dexter swallowed hard, forcing the horrible taste back down his throat. He then started to try and calm his elevated heart-rate and erratic breathing pattern, his mind shouting at him that now was not the time to panic. He focused hard on the voice he had heard before he blacked out.

Dee Dee. He had definitely heard her call out to him. Knowing this, Dexter sighed and let a small smirk come to his lips. She would no doubt find them help; and, knowing Dee Dee, she would be back as soon as she could. That eased Dexter's mind as he started to doze.

You remember what Mandark had noted? Good! You pay attention!

Dexter was exhausted, the pain in his body starting to become a numb tingling sensation that made his fingers twitch slightly. The bags under his eyes were distinctly darker than before and you could see a definite tremor going through his body every so often. That is… if you could see him.

His eyes cracked open once again when he heard his name being called, a questioning look ascending onto his features.

"Dexter!?"

He looked around for his glasses, but failed to discern their basic shape in the pitch black of the cocoon of debris. He sighed, highly annoyed at the sheer idiocy of the situation. He cleared his throat and tried to answer the voice, noticing the tone of panic. And he did not like that at all… because he was positive he recognized that voice.

"Ma-…Mandark…?" Dexter stuttered into the dark, hoping his tired lilt had made it to Mandark's ears.

"Dexter!?"

Dexter smirked. Mandark had definitely heard him.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Mandark's head shot up as that voice came to him from somewhere nearby. He looked around frantically as he searched for the voice.

"Dexter!? Is that you?!" he asked as his body started to relax a bit, but his voice betrayed him at that moment, showing his anxiousness in the tone he had used.

"Yeah… It's me, Mandark… A-… are you alright?" Dexter asked, trying to stop the gentle stutter in his voice. He leaned up just a bit and started to look for Mandark's tall form, despite the fact that he could not see him clearly anyway.

"I think so…. I'm not hurt anyways…" Mandark stated as he got to his knees and squinted in the direction he had heard Dexter's voice from. "Are you alright, Dexter?" Mandark asked, trying to discern what was shadow and what was Dexter as he watched the darkness.

Dexter grunted softly as he shifted his weight. "I'm fine, Mandark… But you sound….different…. Are you sure you're not hurt?" Dexter retaliated, trying hard to keep his voice even as not to draw attention to his condition. "I'll be damned if I let Mandark know I'm injured…. He'd never let me live it down…" Dexter sighed mentally, closing his eyes to try and stop his vision from spinning.

"I really am fine! You sound like you're about to pass out!" Mandark shouted into the darkness, angry that Dexter was smart enough to know he really wasn't ok with the whole situation. Mandark huffed and shifted his weight, looking angrily at the ceiling, positioning his hate on the inanimate plane.

Dexter sighed as well, he was really getting tired of this…and staring at the ceiling was doing nothing to help him stay awake. He fought hard to do just that, knowing full and well he might have a concussion from slamming into the wall. "Well……maybe Mandark could be useful for something….." he sighed softly, tilting his head to the side to rest it on the wall.

"Did you say something?..." Mandark hissed softly, feigning spite in his voice to cover the anxiety.

Dexter lifted his tired lids, happy that the comment had worked to rile his rival. "It's a start…"he thought to himself as he swallowed back a cold lump in his throat.

"No…I did not Mandark…" Dexter lied softly, closing his eyelids once again.

Mandark heard this and pouted softly, turning his head upwards again. And, once again getting a fearful feeling in his gut, he turned to the one thing he needed to do to keep sane. He turned to Dexter's voice and called out to him.

"Dexter?"

Dexter raised his head and looked over in Mandark's general direction. "Yes, Mandark?" he asked.

"Can you see any way out?" Mandark asked as he looked around. "There aren't any on my end."

Dexter adopted a look of utter annoyance, his anger rising a tad, giving his voice some bite. "No… I cannot see anything, Mandark. I lost my glasses in the blast," Dexter growled. He wasn't angry at Mandark really…just at Billy and his stupidity and the fact he couldn't see. Oh, and that he was in pain…let's not forget that one.

"Sorry. I didn't know…I really can't see you….I'll try to get over there…" Mandark stated as he pushed his annoyance at Dexter back, biting his tone back as well. Last thing he wanted was for Dexter to yell at him, or worse, blast him. Who knew…Dexter might have had a weapon on him…

"No….You do not have to move on my account, Mandark…Stay there…" Dexter growled softly, shifting again as another spike of pain throbbed in his side. Mandark needed to stay there! "He cannot see me like this!" Dexter thought.

"You need your glasses to see, right? Well, I'll come get them for you…It'll make us even for you pushing me out of the way…." Mandark said as he started towards Dexter's voice. "Why did you do that anyway?"

"You sound grateful….." Dexter said sarcastically, glaring at the new blur that was heading in his direction.

"Don't misunderstand me, Dorkster… I always repay my debts…." Mandark replied, with same hint of annoyance in his tone. As he crawled, he touched Dexter's glasses gently. Smiling triumphantly to himself, he picked up the spectacles and went forward again. "Hey….I found them Dexter."

Dexter glared into the nothingness at the use of that hated nickname, but sighed and let it slide this time. Even though he loathed the fact that Mandark was HELPING him, Dexter let a small smile slip to his lips. "I guess he isn't too bad…." Dexter thought, but he shook his head.

Another Bad Idea.

A sharp throb went through his skull a short second after he had done the offending action. Dexter gasped softly then whimpered, biting his lip until the pain passed.

But, Mandark was now close enough to actually see Dexter a little, and he was definitely within earshot of his more subtle sounds. Alarmed by the sudden noise, Mandark's voice took on his anxious tone again.

"Dexter?!" he asked as he got closer still. His eyes widened when his unclenched palm slipped into pool of warm goo on the ground. "What the-…?" he questioned. He raised his hand fearfully up to eye level, trying to discern what his hand was coated in. He squinted and after seeing his hand drenched in a reddish liquid, he gasped, eyes now shooting over to and locking onto Dexter's shaking form in front of him.

"B-blood!?" he squeaked softly as he tried to get closer.

"Mandark! Just toss t-them over to m..me…" Dexter commanded softly, stuttering out a few of the words as he desperately tried to get him to go back over to the other side of the corridor.

Mandark inched closer, now determined to see Dexter, and confirm he WAS alright……and……

"What will I do if he isn't alright?..." he asked himself as he closed in. "I already helped him, sort of….. Is it wrong for me to want to help my nemesis…?" Mandark kept up his mantra until he was close enough to discern what happened to his diminutive arch-enemy. (AN: Yes! I said it and I feel so bad! XD )

Dexter was shaking….hard. But, despite the fact that Dex was sporting some bruises and scratches on the surface, Mandark couldn't discern if he was hurt any worse. He only saw blood on Dexter's lips and chin.

"Probably where that puddle came from…" Mandark mused. He looked at Dexter's face, noting that he, in fact, looked worse off than just a bit before. He definitely looked as though he were about to pass out……from exhaustion or injury, Mandark couldn't guess.

He cautiously sidled closer and lifted Dexter's glasses to his face, placing them gently back in place.

Dexter groaned softly as everything in front of him came into sharp relief, showing him that Mandark had scooted away from him. Dexter raised his eyebrow when he saw Mandark scanning the surroundings and then himself. "What are you looking at, Mandark?" Dexter asked harshly.

"You. You lied…." Mandark stated with a hint of….admiration in his voice? Nah.

"Why does that surprise you, Mandark? You do it to me and Dee Dee all of the time…" Dexter sighed. He looked around, noting anything of importance about the place in which they were stuck.

"Do not!" Mandark denied.

"You just did…" Dexter sighed, closing his eyes.

"Did not….." he muttered back, softly enough to were Dexter couldn't hear him. Mandark huffed and went to lean against a nearby wall, taking to ignoring Dexter….That is, until Dexter's breathing evened out, making Mandark look up curiously.

Dexter was out cold, his head tilted towards Mandark. He was breathing softly, his mouth slightly open and his glasses had slid a bit down his nose.

"He looks……"Mandark began, but stopped when he realized that he was talking about his NEMESIS. Mandark blushed softly and huffed as he watched. But soon, his mind wandered again and he left his mind to settle on Dexter's soft breathing, watching him as he slept off the throws of exhaustion. And, in the dark, and quiet…..Mandark came to the conclusion that Dexter was….cute…..at least when he was asleep. But he would never admit that….

~*~*~*~*~=(^3^)=~*~*~*~*~

Please Review, or No Cookie For Joo!


	3. Chapter 3: Calling All Agents

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

**Chapter Three: Calling All Agents!**

Dee Dee looked over to the rubble that had toppled onto Dexter and Mandark with a look of utter horror.

"DEXTER!!!" she cried out in panic as she sped to the debris, looking for any sign that they were ok, but she couldn't find even a scrap of their clothes. Was that a good sign? Is her brother dead!? Dee Dee shook away all of her morbid thoughts and turned to round on the entranced Billy.

"YOU! You did this!" she screamed at him as he came closer.

"Gosh! I didn't mean it……Maybe Mandy and Grim can get them out……." Billy said, already defaulting to letting Grim and Mandy handle anything that needed a thinking process.

Dee Dee glared into Billy's eyes, making Billy squeak in fear and twitch. It was like she was staring into his very soul….which she could have been. (AN: Scary Dee Dee… o.o! )

"You better hope they do, you jerk! If my baby brother is hurt….SO HELP ME……." She started, but Billy had become afraid for his life and he had dashed off.

"Bastard…" Dee Dee growled as she dashed off in a different direction. Billy could wait….Dexter was trapped with his enemy and she'd be damned if he stayed there. "Dexter needs me to find him some help……And that's what I'll do! I'll get Billy later……." she stated as she ran towards the labs main elevator.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

"Mandy! Mandy! Mandy! Mandy! Mandy! Mand-…"

"WHAT Billy!?!?"

Mandy glared at the hyperactive idiot in front of her desk, trying Very hard to bore a hole in his skull with her eyes. Billy had just barged into her office and started his mantra, without knocking, OR stopping, since he had arrived.

Billy looked up at her and pouted, then he leapt into a very fast version of what happened.

"MandyIwasplayingwithDeeDeeandIstolehersashandIranthroughthelabdownstairsandnockedoverthis….Thingy…..anditwentoffandnerdywastrappedandnow..Dee Dee wants to kill me…." He said on one breath before he took in a much needed gulp of air.

Mandy raised a brow as she tried to discern what he had said.

"Slow down Billy…."

Billy nodded his head vigerously.

"Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeah……I was playing with Dee Dee, and I stole her sash..right? And I ran into that HUMONGOUS lab downstairs…and I knock over this THING…..and it went like POW KERPLOW ZAP! But now Nerdy is trapped with the scary guy and Dee Dee wants to kill me!" Billy said again.

"Slinkman."

Said slug in question looked up from his typing.

"Yes Mandy?" he asked as he saved his work to the computer he was working at.

"I need Ben, Numbers 1, 2, and 5, Double D, and Dee Dee to be notified to meet me on Lab Deck 4…." Mandy said, her cold even speech letting no emotion into her voice.

Slinkman shivered at the sheer lack of emotion in her tone. "Yes Mandy. Right away!" he said as he went to the Call System that Dexter had set up in his old office. Yep. Mandy had taken over DexLabs to help the war effort. She had promised to give it back afterwards, but….she was still in charge now.

Slinkman picked up the receiver and changed the settings to announcement mode. He took a soft breath in and then placed the receiver in front of his mouth.

"Attention! This is Slinkman! Will Ben Tennyson, Number 1, Number 2, Number 5, Double D, and Dee Dee please report to the Lab Deck 4 entrance. An Emergency has arisen and is in need of immediate support. I repeat. Will Ben Tennyson, Number 1, Number 2, Number 5, Double D, and Dee Dee please report to the Lab Deck 4 entrance. This is not a drill…"

"Very good. That will be all Slinkman…" Mandy said softly.

Slinkman nodded, accepting the small amount of praise as he headed back to his work. "What about him, Ma'm?"

Mandy glanced up as Slinkman jerked his thumb over in the direction of Billy. She sighed and looked at the boy, gauging what she had to do to keep him occupied.

"Billy?"

"Yes, Mandy?" Billy asked as he looked up at her.

"Go play with Number 3…." She commanded as she rose from her desk and strode across the office. She looked at Billy as she passed, silently telling him that he had better do it.

"Yeahyeahyeahyeahyeah!" Billy garbled excitedly before he dashed past Mandy and went off to find Kookie.

Mandy sighed again, and then exited her office and went to the elevator.

"What Floor?" came the automatic voicing system.

"Lab Deck 4."

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Ben Tennyson looked up as his name was called over the intercom. He turned his green-eyed gaze over to his two companions, Numbers One and Five, and shrugged.

"What do you thinks going on?" Ben asked as he started to rise from the cafeteria table, brushing off his green and white jacket as he did.

Number One raised an eyebrow, scratching his bald head softly.

"I don't actually know….." he sighed softly as, he too, got up from dinner.

"Numbah Five thinks this has somethin' to do with tha' big explosion……" Abigail stated as she fixed her hat over her hair, glancing at the other two for any type of confirmation.

"I think so too………" Ben said as he waited for the others to follow him. He had picked up his tray to deposit it in the cleaning bin.

Number One and Number Five had also done this, hoping that it wasn't something too serious.

Ben started over to the cleaning bin, but stopped just short of the mechanical washing unit, his eyes wide as he realized what deck of HQ they were to report to.

"Guys!? Isn't Dex working on Lab Deck 4?.." he asked as he turned to them, hoping he wasn't right.

Number One's eyebrows rose as he came to the same conclusion.

"You don't think?"

"I do! Come on!" Ben tossed his tray into the bin and dashed off, heading for the elevators, being closely followed by Numers One and Five.

"You better be ok, Dex…." Ben thought as he slid to a stop at the elevator. He pressed the down button harshly and waited, in the company of the two KND operatives, for the elevator to come up.

Both Ben and Number One were extremely close to Dexter, seeing as they actually understood the boy. Number One loved to talk science and strategy with the boy genius, while Ben loved to pick at him to see Dexter's deeper (albeit hidden) fun side.

But, all three had a deep respect for their tactician and resident mad-scientist.

Soon enough, the elevator beeped and its cold steel doors opened to allow the three of them to enter.

"What Floor?" came the automatic voicing system.

"Lab Deck 4."

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Number Two blinked as he heard his name on the intercom.

"Emergency?" he questioned as he straitened his aviator goggles.

"Sounds like they need us on Lab Deck 4, Number Two…." said a soft voice from close by.

Number Two looked over to the owner of the voice and nodded.

"Looks like it, Double D! Come On! Let's get over there now!" Number Two said enthusiastically as he straightened his clothes, smearing them with grease.

The boy in question, Double D, straightened his hat and removed his protective gloves and goggles.

"Of course! Are we going to port over?" Double D asked as he started to follow the portly Number Two over to one of the newer machines in the boy's garage.

"Yep! It's the fastest way to DexLabs!" he chirped as he stepped onto the H.O.P.P.E.R pad, waiting for Double D to join him.

"Messy…Messy…Messy……" Double D grumbled as he scuttled over to the pad as well, stepping onto it.

"Let's Go!" Number Two shouted as he slammed his hand down on an oversized coordinate button.

"DexLabs Inc. Now Porting Operative Number Two and Operative Double D….."

"WOOHOO!"

"Oh Dear!"

ZAP!

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Dee looked up at the elevator's intercom.

"Well I'll be……." Dee said softly as she realized the little twerp had told Mandy for her.

"Skyrise." came the automatic voicing system from above her head.

"Umm……Could you take me back down to Lab Deck 4….please?" Dee Dee asked.

"Of Course…" came the automatic reply. The doors shut once again and she was soon on her way down to meet the others.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

On Lab Deck 4, all three elevator doors opened, allowing Mandy, Numbers One and Five, Ben, and Dee Dee to exit into the hall that led to the South entrance to the second largest of Dexter's three private labs.

Mandy nodded to the operatives and Ben as they exited.

Ben and the others were startled by her being there, but were glad for the support in any case.

"So…….where's Number Two and Double-.." Ben started.

Number Two and Double D suddenly appeared on the H.O.P.P.E.R pad in the corner. Two looked exstatic at the fact that the H.O.P.P.E.R had worked (all thanks to Dexter's designes). But, Double D fell to the floor with typical dizzy swirls in his eyes.

"Answered my question….You ok Double D?" Ben said, extending his hand to the crumpled heap of Double D on the floor.

"Yes…..I suppose……What happened here on 4?" Double D asked as he stood up with Ben's help.

"We dunno….."

"The lab was breached and an accident has trapped our resident genius and Mandark inside an older part of the lab…..I only asked for the few of you because from what I can tell…..this will be a delicate operation that won't require a mass of children running about….." Mandy's cold voice cut through Ben's statement.

Ben, Number One, and Double D looked up at the mention of their friend.

"What!?"

"How!?"

"Oh Dear!"

Mandy sighed and looked at Dee Dee, who looked as if she were ready to tear her hair out.

"You ok, Girl?" Number Five asked as she siddled away from the boys to speak with Dee Dee.

Dee Dee looked up and smiled at her.

"No…..I'm really worried about Dexter……" Dee Dee sighed, lowering her head.

"Girl……If I know one thing about that genius of a bro of yours…it's that tha' boy is as wily as they come….he'll pull through…….sides…..he at least got Mandark down there with him…." Number Five said, trying to cheer her up.

"I'm worried about that too….." Dee Dee sighed as she looked over to the sliding-door entrance to the lab.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Please Review! Do It! Do It NOW! YES!


	4. Chapter 4: Going UnNoticed

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

**Chapter Four: Going Un-Noticed**

Mandark sighed deeply as he made another round about his and Dexter's newly created cage, grumbling under his breath at the sheer stupidity of the situation……more than likely for the eighth time that minute.

He sighed again and slowly pulled his glasses off the bridge of his nose so that he could easily rub his eyes in frustration. It was bad enough he was trapped in an enclosed space, which was freaking him out enough, but he was trapped with…Dexter, of all people!

Speaking of Dexter…

Mandark placed his glasses back in their rightful place and glanced at said boy. Dexter was still asleep, slumped against the far wall of the dark space. His breathing was shallow, and soft. Hell, it was almost inaudible, now that he thought about it.

"Dexter…?" Mandark whispered softly, afraid that waking him wasn't the greatest of ideas. He slowly went over to the spot beside Dexter and sat back down, grateful that he wasn't alone, at least.

Dexter did not stir from his sleep, far too exhausted to acknowledge the soft voice trying to rouse him.

Mandark sighed again and gave up the effort, opting to just looking around their confinement once more. "Why do I even bother……? There isn't a way out of here from this side……" Mandark thought as he looked about. But, on his second pass around the wall, he found something that he had previously missed.

There was a tiny sliver of light coming from a nearby wall! Mandark scrambled over to the light and examined it up close. It was small, but it also held the prospect of allowing him out of the dark. So, after deliberating over how to go about the work, he dug his nails into the rock and heaved it out of the way.

The wall gave a disturbing creaking noise…and then the wall gave way.

Mandark scrambled away just in time, as to not get crushed. The rock-fall had sloshed a massive amount of dust into the air, and had tightened the space of which their prison took up.

Mandark coughed hard, his eyes wide as he watched the rock close over the once hopeful prospect of freedom. He looked around fearfully and started to panic. "I'm trapped!" he thought fearfully, pulling his legs up to his chest and hugging them tight.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Dexter was awoken abruptly, his lungs beginning to have trouble bringing in clean air. He coughed heavily, a lone hand coming up to cup itself over his mouth. A metallic taste added a tang to his mouth as a small amount of blood made its way up his throat, the coughs having disturbed the healing that the tiny amount of sleep had done.

Dexter opened his eyes a bit; slamming them shut again when dust assailed him, allowing a fresh round of coughs to rake through his lithe frame. The movement was horribly painful, as each hack had rustled his wounds. Groaning pitifully between gasps for air, Dexter was left to hack up his lungs until the dust settled down around him.

When he regained his breath, blinking the tears from his eyes, Dexter looked around cautiously to see what had brought about the dust storm. His eyes fell upon a newly "refurbished" part of his and Mandark's cocoon. A rockslide had taken away some of the larger space to the dome of rock.

Dexter looked at the rockslide thoughtfully, trying to get his sleep-deprived mind to decipher what had happened in the short time that he had been…

"Was I asleep…?" Dexter thought. His eyes closed again, clenching shut at the resulting headache the short thought had produced. He groaned softly again, but his noise had alerted someone else of his presence.

"D..-dexter….?" Asked a soft tone from nearby.

Dexter knew that voice. He lifted his head from off of the rock slab he had rested it against and turned his attention upon his enemy.

Dexter's eyes widened.

"Mandark…? What's wrong?" Dexter asked hoarsely, looking on as Mandark rocked to and fro with a horrified expression on his face. Hey. Dexter is the stereotypical "good guy", isn't he? He was worried…

Dexter shook his head slightly, groaning softly as he did, having forgotten his earlier mistake. But, when he was feeling a bit better, he pushed himself up and inched over to Mandark, hand over hand, leaving small crimson hand prints on the rock floor, until he was right beside the taller boy. He gulped down the knot in his throat and tried to gain Mandark's attention again.

"Mandark?" Dexter asked again, his voice hoarse from the abuse and dust. He looked at the boy as sternly as he could muster with his injuries ever present.

Mandark slowly started to snap back to himself, his eyes going from dilated and frightened, to just plain frightened. He turned his eyes to meet Dexter's in a short lock.

"D-dex-ter..?" Mandark stuttered, taking in a few deep breaths.

Dexter knew now what was wrong; or at least, he had a very good guess. Moving closer, as to give Mandark a sense of security, Dexter locked eyes with him again. Bright baby-blue orbs met with the subtle, dark-blue ones.

"Y-……you're claustrophobic……..aren't you……?" Dexter asked as he heaved himself to a sitting position beside Mandark, shaking heavily from the exertion. What little energy he had regained had now been squandered, and his eyes drooped as he waited for a reply.

Mandark's head, which had moved to look at the opposite wall, whipped around to stare at Dexter. He snapped to himself in that instant, and saw Dexter sitting beside him. Mandark processed the question, and gulped down the bile that was threatening to come up.

Finally, Mandark nodded, looking away in shame, his breathing back to normal.

Dexter sighed and scooted closer to Mandark, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. "Mandark….you don't have to be afraid…….I'm here with you……You're not alone……"

Mandark turned his head back to Dexter and thought over what he had just said. He averted his eyes, trying to avoid Dexter's baby-blue ones, and nodded his head slowly. "Ye…yes…….I am……" Mandark sighed, eyes flitting around the room. After a once around, he reverted back into his frightened state and tried to curl up again, whimpering in fear.

Dexter went on the offensive and gripped his shoulder as tight as he could and shook him softly. "Mandark! Snap out of it!" he pleaded. He moved his hands to cup Mandark's face, trying to get him to listen. "I need you to stay with me…ok…..I need you to snap out of it…..You'll hyperventilate at this rate!" His efforts offered up no relief to the problem, only making Mandark shake heavier.

Mandark, frightened worse than before, tried to fight off the soft embrace as he came close to hyperventilating. He wheeled around swiftly and pushed at the offending pressure on his body, crying out in anger as he did.

Dexter gave out a yelp of pain as Mandark's hands connected with his side, sending him toppling backwards onto the cold ground. After gasping for air, a choked sob of pain choked its way up his throat, and he laid there, trying to curl into himself.

Mandark snapped back out of it, looking around frantically for the "thing" he had hit. His eyes came to rest on the whimpering boy a few inches away. (A.N. Hey he can't hit that hard….but Dex is already injured.) His eyes widened when he realized what he had done.

"Dexter!" came his short outcry as he scooted over to his side. "I….I-I'm so…sorry…..I didn't….I mean…"

Dexter coughed hard, moving his face to look down at the ground.

Mandark looked on guiltily as Dexter started to hack into the dirt below him, tiny flecks of red starting to dribble from the corner of his mouth. Unable to find a more fitting solution to his new problem, Mandark gently put his hands around Dexter's shoulders and pulled him gently into a sitting position. The action itself was gentle, but it elicited another bout of coughs and a few urgent cries of pain from Dexter.

"Stop….Hurts……." Dexter hissed, trying hard to twist away from the boy who was trying to turn him over.

Mandark flinched when a gloved hand hit him in the ribs. The impact hadn't hurt, which was actually why he had flinched. Dexter had no strength to his movements, and now that Mandark was clear-headed again, he could see that fact as plain as day. He quickly pinned Dexter's gloved hands down at his sides and waited for him to cease his struggle, which didn't take as long as Mandark had originally thought. Finally though, Dexter stopped struggling away from the pain and lay there, panting, tears pouring in small rivulets down his cheeks from under his blue tinted glasses. Mandark frowned as he moved the boy again, this time with no fight at all. He scooted closer and undid his cape, folding it into a bundle. Then, lifting Dexter's head as gently as he could muster, he slipped the soft cloth underneath it.

Dexter flinched, whimpering softly with each movement of his battered body, his head giving a particularly nasty throb when his head was moved. When his body came to rest at last, he managed to crack one of his eyes open to stare at the person who had moved him. Mandark was nearby his head, sitting Indian-style and looking down at him.

"I….." Mandark started.

"Do not…….worry………..I'm alright…………" Dexter rasped out, trying to sound tough despite the previous display.

Mandark snorted.

"Look at yourself…….You are definitely not alright, Dexter." Mandark examined his face with a critical air. "You must have hit the wall………" he mused. He knew that to be able to help Dexter, which he was trying to talk himself out of, he would have to find the parts that were causing Dexter the pain.

This time, Dexter chuckled. "It is what I get for trying to help the enemy….." he said softly, opting to look at the ceiling instead of Mandark.

Mandark blinked. "You know, Dexter……..I remember the first day that we met….."

Dexter looked back at him, head throbbing. "The first day of school? I remember that too…."

"No. The day you laughed at me for liking science……..I think you thought I was a girl……" Mandark corrected, raising a brow as he waited for Dexter's reply.

Dexter looked so confused for a few moments, but….realization dawned on him as he looked up at Mandark.

"Susan……….." he whispered, his open eye wide.

Mandark smiled sadly. "I hate my real name….." he said softly.

Dexter looked at him, realizing that HE was the reason that they weren't friends at this moment. "It is my fault……." he mused, looking up again, his eye closes to half mast again.

Mandark looked down, startled by what Dexter had admitted. "What? No it's….."

"I ridiculed you Mandark………..I………"

Mandark looked startled when Dexter's sentence stopped abruptly. He looked down again, watching as Dexter began to cough again, flecks of red fluid coming up, sprinkling his cheeks with little red dots.

"Here…" Mandark helped to tilt him to the side so the blood wouldn't choke him.

Dexter spat out the rest of the fluid that was in his mouth, groaning softly hen he had finished.

Mandark sighed heavily, glad that the bout of coughing had stopped.

"I should……. not have laughed……. at you, Mandark. I………..should have been………kinder…."

Mandark looked down upon hearing Dexter's voice. He raised a brow. "You do know…..If you had……I would have been stuck with that stupid-ass name for the rest of my life…………. I'm……. glad…. that you became my rival. I enjoy the challenge that you pose for me." Mandark admitted softly.

"Are you……..forgiving me……?" Dexter asked softly.

"Nope! But I am admitting that I'm at least grateful for the companionship you've given me…..I'll admit that it is a mutually hateful relationship, but……….It's was the best thing I had going for me at the time." Mandark said this while smirking down at Dexter.

Dexter sighed, opting to half-heartedly glare at Mandark. "Then……..why?....."

Mandark shifted his arms a bit and gently helped Dexter to lie on his back. "Because………I owe you, Dexter……you…..saved my life…..And you never did answer my question…."

"What question, Mandark?" Dexter asked, his voice rasping softly. He was so close to just passing out again, but he wanted to know what Mandark had asked, so he forced himself to stay alert.

"Why did you push me out of the way of the initial blast?" he asked while settling his back against the nearby wall.

Dexter thought about it for a few moments. Then…

"Because…….I might be your rival, but……….I would……..never……want…..you dead………Man..dark……" Dexter struggled to stay awake to deliver his answer; but, just as soon as he had uttered Mandark's name, he was out like a light once again. His breathing evened out, and his eyes closed. His head lulled to the side, leaving him facing Mandark.

Mandark blinked at the response, his head swiveling to scan Dexter as he drifted off again. Mandark sighed, and, for the second time in the time they had been trapped, Mandark's thoughts began to revolve around his rival.

He thought about his baby-blue eyes, and how innocent he looked without his glasses. He thought of his small stature, and how it added to how cute he looked when not angry. He thought about how sexy he looked when his eyes were angry or frightened, and how exotic he sounded with his oddly Russian accent.

"What's Wrong With Me!? I can't……"

Mandark's eyes widened. No. He couldn't…..could he? NO! He refused to believe it. But, looking at Dexter's cherubic face while he slept, he couldn't help but……..NO! NO! NO! Mandark shook his head frantically. After all the years of hating him, Mandark finally realized….

"I'm in……..love….with DEXTER!?" he stuttered in disbelief, cheeks stained a deep red in color. It was the only thing he could think of to explain the feeling. He looked up at the ceiling and let out a semi-loud "GWAH!" of frustration, before dropping his head into his hands.

"This isn't happening……..This isn't happening……"

Mandark glanced at Dexter, noticing that his mouth was slightly open, adding to the cute-factor that the mere fact that he was injured brought. He turned a shade redder, his thoughts on how it would feel to kiss his rival, his eyes wide.

"IT IS……….." he sighed, thumping his fist into his forehead softly, trying to rid himself of the mental image from before.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Review pwease or Aneko shall chase joo down with the CRAZY WRENCH!


	5. Chapter 5: To The Rescue Or Not?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

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**Chapter Five: To The Rescue….Or Not?**

"Alright……So how are we going to do this Mandy?" Ben asked as he walked to the sliding doors of the lab in front of their little group.

Mandy looked over her shoulder to Ben. "We do it the right way."

Ben frowned. That hadn't been the answer he had wanted exactly. He sighed.

"We need to assess the damage first…. From what I've been told, we will have to work from the top, and then make our way down…" Number One said softly as he followed the others.

Dee Dee was the first to make it to the door, so she was the one to press the button that allowed them back into Lab Deck 4. (A.N. No surprise there. XD )

The group of operatives looked on as the Southern bay door slowly slid open, giving them entrance to the older part of Dexter's Lab. This side of the lab was actually closer to where the boys were trapped, which meant that everything in this sector was old. The lights flickered in places, but were dead in others.

"What's up with the lights?" asked Number Two as he waddled into the semi-darkness of the lab.

"Probably blown out from the explosion…." Answered Number Five as she strode after him.

Dee Dee gulped as she led the way to the rubble that held her brother and Mandark. She knew the lab, its every twist and turn, but not what it held. Only her brother knew that. So, she led them quietly, occasionally looking back to check on the others.

"WOW! This is amazing! I knew Dex was smart, but these inventions…They're pure genius!" Number Two gushed as he gazed around at the instruments as they passed.

"This is the older part of the lab, ya know…….Dexter has much more sophisticated equipment in the new sectors…" Number One said, smiling back at Number Two.

"I HAVE GOT TO SEE THEM!" Number Two said excitedly.

Dee Dee shook her head as she went forward. "Boys…."

Number Five snickered at Dee Dee's comment. "Good one Dee…."

"Thanks!"

"How much further in are they, Dee Dee?" asked Double D as he scuttled up to the front, so that he could hear Dee Dee's answer.

"Not far….We're almost there…." Dee Dee answered.

"Look at this mess…….It looks as if a bomb went off in here……" Ben said, looking disgustedly at the massive scorch marks on the ground.

"That's a good way to put it…." Mandy said in her monotone. She looked further ahead as they walked. "Is that it, Dee Dee?"

Dee Dee looked ahead and smiled sadly. "Yeah. That's it!" She picked up her pace and ran to the rubble. "Dexter!?"

The mound shook a little from the reverberations, raining pebbles down on them.

"Quiet! That thing is unstable!" Ben hissed.

"Right…..sorry…." Dee Dee apologized. She backed away.

"What should we do?" Number Five asked.

"We are most definitely going to have to get one of the Excavators from headquarters. This thing will be far too unstable to dig into by hand. At least, until we can get it to a more stable mass…" Number Two iterated as he looked at the mass of twisted metal, rock, and wood.

"If we take off the very top of the mound…the area that is the closest to the ceiling…..by about 3 feet…..It should make the mass stable enough to dig into from the sides…." Double D mused as he too examined the mound.

"Well…we have a plan…..Now how do we-………….Do you smell that?" Ben said, looking confused for a moment as a smoky smell pervaded the air.

The others sniffed the air carefully.

"I don't smell anything….." Number Two said.

"I smell smoke….." said Double D.

"Numbah Five don't like where this is heading……" Number Five sighed.

"Where there's smoke there's……" Number one said, a hint of panic on the edge of his voice.

"FIRE!" cried everyone at once, which had more pebbles falling on them.

"Hurry! Get a fire-team down here at once!" Mandy ordered.

"Oh Dear! It's got to be on the otherside!" Double D said as put his hand gently on the metal of the cocoon. "This side is still cold! We need to put it out before it gets to this thing….."

"I'll just phase in and get them!" Ben said as he went to activate the Omnitrix.

Number One slapped his hand away. "They wouldn't survive the cold!" he resoned.

Ben looked down, defeated. "Damn…I forgot about that……I could still go and put out some of the fire…."

"Do it…..We'll meet you over there with back-up soon," Number One agreed before he and Number Five dashed back to the elevator.

Ben went with them and ran to the opposite bay doors, slapping his hand down on the Omnitrix as he went. A blinding light resounded through the hall as Ben began to transform into the Necofriggian known as Big Chill. When he finished he kicked his clawed feet into the dirt and flew through the bay doors, freezing them as he went through. His eyes widened when he saw the flames. They were everywhere on this side of the lab, melting some of the metal as it lapped at the walls and nipped at the rafters.

Ben growled in anger and took a deep breath in. He let it out in a whirlwind of ice and snow, cold enough to where it emaciated the flames upon touch. But, every time he blew out a patch, another would take its place, leaving only horrendous black smoke in its wake.

"If the fire doesn't get them…..the smoke sure will……" Ben growled, blowing out more of the flames.

Just as soon as he was about to give up, the KND operatives brought in a small, but effective, fire squad to help. Ben sighed in relief. But his relief was short lived when he realized that the fire had made it to the mass of metal that held Dexter and Mandark hostage. His eyes widened.

"Hurry! Put out that side!" he cried as he flew over, putting out some of the fire with his speed alone. He took a deep breath in and blew it out, taking the fire with it, but freezing the side of the cocoon as well. "Shit!"

"It'll melt Ben! Leave it! We have to put out the rest of the fire!" came Number One's voice from somewhere off in the crowd of people working on the fire.

Ben took one more look at the massive block of ice that had formed on the cocoon, and then reluctantly sped to the others blowing a frosty wind as he went.

"Hopefully they'll be ok……." Ben mused in his head as he and the others worked to put out the rest of the fire.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Short, but this chapter is a linking ficlet for the last chapter to the next one that I will put up. Hope You Liked! Please Review or I shall have Fusion Dexter sick the SPAWN OF SATAN on Joo!


	6. Chapter 6: Frigid Flames

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

Aneko: I send all my love to all of my readers! And special thanks to all of my reviewers....specially SSpeedy and LightningBird! Love you guys

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

**Chapter Six: Frigid Flames**

Mandark looked over to Dexter again, watching him breath for a moment. The silence of the moment was only broken by the steady tempo of "in" and "out".

Mandark couldn't stop the resulting smile as he examined Dexter. "So uniform……" he mused, "even when he's asleep…."

No other noise disturbed the pair for what seemed like forever. Or, at least it did for Mandark. That is, until a cacophony of voices started to garble through the steel of the barrier.

Mandark's head shot up, his expression nothing but joy. "They've found us!" he thought happily as he scrambled over to the far wall, only to discover that the louder the noises got, the more that they were distorted. The dull roar of noise began to frighten him once he remembered how close the walls were.

He panicked and scrambled back to where he had left Dexter, eyes widened.

A deep breath was taken in, then exhaled, and repeated in this fashion for a few minutes. With eyes flitting about nervously, Mandark whimpered.

Rock started to rumble above him, which made his eyes swivel to the ceiling. Nothing could describe the amount of panic that sparked in Mandark's eyes when he saw the ceiling produce a few pebbles, dust falling down onto him and Dexter.

Luckily though, Dexter was out cold. He would have gone into overdrive if he had seen Mandark's panic-stricken face at that moment.

But, the noise left. And it disappeared so suddenly.

Mandark's eyes returned to their original size as soon as he realized that the noise had stopped. He exhaled heavily, trying hard to catch his breath. One would have sworn that he was asthmatic if they heard his ragged breathing just then.

He brought a shaky hand up to his face, covering his eyes. A few tears of frustration fell from his eyes.

"Damnit! I'm….so useless!" he cursed under his breath, exhaling shakily. His shoulders slumped forward as he hid his head, curling into himself.

"Th..at's not…..true….Man…..dark….." came a tender voice from his side.

Mandark wheeled around, his body shaking. He looked down at the owner of the voice. "Wha-?"

Dexter was awake again, but his eyes were only half open, blue irises glossed over from sleep.

Mandark eeped softly, realizing that Dexter had seen him crying. He quickly turned his back to his rival, furiously scrubbing the tears from his cheeks.

Dexter blinked slowly, his eyelids closing for awhile, and then re-opening. He studied Mandark's back for the longest time before he tried to speak up again. "It's alright…..Man…dark…….."

Mandark's back stiffened, and he glanced over his shoulder at Dexter. He was just staring at him, baby blue eyes half open. Mandark blushed a deeper shade of pink; his head shooting back to stare at the wall. "Why him……Of all people!?" he thought to himself.

Mandark sighed softly, thinking over all the things that he could say at the moment, but was startled out of his reverie by another sharp noise. This time, Mandark turned all the way around.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Dexter watched Madark's back for the longest time, musing over a few things in his head. "He's……so different…..but also………so similar to me……."

But, Dexter was soon brought from his musing. The temperature had gone up slightly, making it a bit more uncomfortable for the injured boy.

Now, Dexter always wore a turtleneck sweater under his lab coat. You see… his laboratory got very cold as it got later in the day, so he always came prepared. But now, with the heat of the enclosure steadily rising, he was starting to sweat, his body almost to the point of unbearably warm.

Yet, that was only part of his problems. His eyes were starting to sting, like tiny needles were being pressed into them all at once.

Only one thing was known to irritate Dexter's eyes to this degree, and that was smoke.

And, just as expected, a black fog started to wheedle its way into the confines of the dome, creating a thin sheen of ashy gray over the floor near the wall. Soon enough, the smoke had permeated over the expanse of the floor, looming around Dexter's battered body. Dexter began to cough, hating the smell and taste of smoke, knowing exactly what it could do to his breathing at that point. But, luck isn't with Dexter right now, is it? So the smoke kept up its vigil, choking the young scientist… that is, until his dome-mate turned to see what was wrong.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Mandark was at a loss. "Why's Dexter choking?!" he thought wildly as he leaned over Dexter, reaching out to him.

Then…he smelled it. Smoke, thick and heavily perfumed with the scent of melting metal and ash, was starting to blanket the floor.

"What the -!?" Mandark exclaimed. He scrambled to the wall of the cocoon and pressed a hand to it gently. His eyes widened, mouth opening to issue a hiss of pain at the hot surface. He snatched his hand back and went back to Dexter, panic in his eyes.

"This heat……It has to be a fire, Dexter! What are we going to do!?" Mandark asked, almost to the point of pleading for an answer, since his muddled mind was trying very hard to comprehend why this was happening.

"Cal-….m….dow-….n…….Man-….da-……rk…….." Dexter managed between his fits of smoke-induced coughing. He could barely breathe!

Mandark turned his head back down, sobering up immensely. He mused over his next action carefully. "Should I-…" he thought, but was interrupted.

Dexter started coughing with more intensity, his body jerking with each hack that escaped his mouth.

"To hell with it….." Mandark finished his inner-debate, and gently put his hands underneath Dexter's body. He then lifted him gently up off of the floor. Dexter, who was unbearably hot, and still coughing, gave little protest to the action, but allowed the move without a struggle.

"Dexter……Deep breaths…….you'll….-"

Dexter's eyes rolled back in his head, his body going limp as he utterly passed out again.

Mandark sighed, then realized that; maybe, the heat had caused his……"friends?"........let's go with that……… collapse in the first place. So, after gently peeling away Dexter's tattered lab coat, he began to take off his turtleneck sweater, sporting a bright red blush during the whole process.

When the offending object was gone, Mandark used a moment of his time to "gander" at his rival's body. He gawked, unable to understand it.

What he had previously presumed was baby-fat, was actually lean muscular tissue. Now, Dexter isn't "built" by any means, but he was lean and muscled in just the right spots. He ran his gaze from the crook of his muscled shoulders and upper arms, down to his lightly curved pectoral muscles and stomach. Smooth curves, lean, almost no fat…….Mandark even ran his fingers gently over some of the mottled bruises on his side, eliciting a soft cry from Dexter. Yep. Even his skin was soft, and despite the darkened bruises, which were concerning Mandark to no end at the moment, Dexter was………"flawless". ( (A.N. *drools* Think the adorable skinny guy with no excess fat at your school. *squee* ))

He locked away his bad thoughts with a quick shake of his head. "No time….I'll ogle later……" Mandark mused.

Lifting Dexter up a bit more, he slipped Dexter's lab coat back onto his small frame. With Dexter now in his clutches, he sat back down for a moment, sighing as he gazed down at his rival.

The moment was short lived however, because all of the commotion on the outside of the dome had started to shake the foundation.

Mandark looked up just in time to catch the falling debris as it made a beeline for himself and Dexter.

Thinking quickly, he rolled over, pushing Dexter's unconscious form beneath him as he did, using his own body as a shield as the rock and dust rained down onto them. None of the initial debris were big enough to really harm the boys, but as the final attack on the outside came careening into the interior of the dome, one chunk of rock fell from the ceiling, smashing into the side of Mandark's head.

The blow sent him reeling forward, eyes rolled back as he was forcefully knocked senseless and into unconsciousness. His body landed on top of Dexter's with a thud, effectively shielding him from anything else as they both waited for consciousness to allow them to awaken again.

That's when….the chill started…..sapping away the smoke and heat from the dome…….

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**Please Review or Fusion Spawn shall rain from down from the heavens and steal your left shoe! O.o**


	7. Chapter 7: Heated Cold

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

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A.N.

Aneko:Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing, with special thanks to SSpeedy, CherryRoses, and Lightningbird!

Dexter: Are you picking Favorites? *looks at her with a smirk*

Aneko: Maybe?~ They do tend to be my most inquisitive readers!~

Mandark: *popping up* And why is that?

Aneko: They post the best Responses!

Dexter: This isn't because of the rol- *is muffled* Mmmpf!

Aneko: *shift eyes* Not a word! Not one more word!

Mandark: *sigh* Read....and Enjoy.

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**Chapter Seven: Heated Cold**

Dexter shivered when he finally came to, his eyes sliding open groggily. A heavy weight was on top of his body, pressuring his chest and making it harder for him to breathe. His vision was obscured by the body above him so he tried to push the weight away, but to no avail. So, he looked around at what he could, taking in the mist in the air. He took a breath out, noticing the puff of smoke that accompanied it. He blinked in confusion.

"Wha-….."

Dexter was stopped mid-thought by a massive tremor raking through his body. He blinked in confusion again, taking a mental accession of his own body. He wasn't shaking that bad. "I didn't…….then….?"

Dexter then decided to take a good long look at what was crushing his body. His eyes widened.

Mandark, passed out and limp, was propped on his own body, shakily taking in slow gasps of air. He was shivering heavily, sending the tremors through his body at a-few-a-second intervals.

Dexter whimpered. It HURT! Every time the shaking echoed into his small frame, it shook his injuries. So, he pushed Mandark's body as hard as he could, under the circumstances. The action budged him about an inch, which freed Dexter's right arm. So, using the extra leverage, Dexter shoved Mandark off of his body, crying out in pain as his right side was strained. The tender muscles were under so much stress, that finally, they gave way, and, with a startled sob of agony, Dexter's right side went limp. His muscles just stopped doing their job, leaving Dexter feeling lopsided and numb.

But, after a few moments of recuperation, he was able to move the rest of his body again, heaving his legs out from underneath Mandark's limp form and scooting to an opposite wall. He sat there, trying to catch his breath, the tears on his cheeks starting to freeze.

Dexter shivered, his frame shaking of its own accord now. He looked around, examining the mist again with a more critical air.

"Crystallized perspiration?……..Something very cold must have hit the source of the heat outside…….." Dexter mused. He shook his head gently, groaning at the pain it brought. "How long was I out……? It was so hot before……..How?...."

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his turtleneck sweater and Mandark's cape, both covered in debris from the rock fall awhile before. He slowly inched his way over and pulled both garments from the rubble.

"This is my-…" Dexter flushed bright red, realizing that he didn't have a shirt on beneath his lab coat. "When did I..?" he thought, desperately trying to remember if he had taken off the object himself.

"No…..I….I passed out…..It was too hot…..Then….who….-?"

Dexter turned around, looking at his unconscious, and heavily shivering, rival. "He…-! He took off my sweater!?.......Why….!?" He turned a shade darker in his embarrassment. Mandark had taken his sweater off to try and alleviate the sweltering hot that had just been plaguing him. He………had helped? Dexter shook his head in confusion. "That can't be right!...But……." He looked down at the garment in his hand.

Dexter blushed. "Mandark………" He had to care, or he wouldn't have done this to save him. Dexter realized that if he had been left in his sweater while the fire outside had been raging, he could of overheated. So, Mandark had taken his sweater off to cool him down.

Dexter actually frowned at the fact that Mandark had only done the action for that reason, but turned red as his thoughts passed into un-ventured territory.

Dexter had come to terms that he had liked his rivalry with Mandark. He had come to think of him as a….friend?......... But he had not gone as far as to say that he loved the genius.

Dexter sighed. "Besides… even if I did love him…………He would never feel the same way……"

This knowledge destroyed that tiny shred of hope that had left for the prospect of a non-violent relationship.

Dexter pushed himself back to where he was before, using his legs to scoot himself across the cracked linoleum, careful to avoid jarring his immobile right side. When his back tapped the wall beside where Mandark was, he stopped, shivering heavily as his back made contact with the cold steel and granite. His teeth started to chatter, clacking noisily in the almost deafening quiet.

He then slowly began to take off his lab coat, so he could put his sweater back on. But, as he was preparing the garment so that he could easily slide it on, he realized that he wasn't the only one shivering.

Mandark was shaking heavily just a few feet away. His teeth were clacking loudly, his ragged pant-like breaths coming out as puffs of icy smoke.

Dexter stopped, and lowered his hands, gripping his turtleneck sweater tightly in his near frost-bitten hands. Latex gloves were horrible at keeping out the elements, Dexter realized. He bit his lip gently.

"Mandark………" he breathed softly, his eyes moving from his sweater to Mandark, then back again. He closed his eyes, making up his mind.

"I….I have to help him." Dexter thought as he moved close to Mandark. "But how…?"

After assessing the situation, he latched his good arm onto Mandark's shirt and, using only his legs, pulled him as close to the wall as possible. It took many tugs, and left Dexter winded and panting for air in the cold room, but he managed to get him over to wall.

Dexter sat there for a moment, trying to catch his breath again. When he had regained enough energy to move again, he started assessing which of the discarded garments to use to cover Mandark up with. The turtle neck would definitely keep him warmer, but it wasn't long enough to cover his body, and the cape was amply long enough, but not nearly as warm. Dexter sighed loudly, not liking the option his mind had produced. He set down the two articles of clothing.

"It's the only way……….He's too cold as is…………" mused the shivering Genius as he reached for Mandark with his good hand. After gripping onto him soundly, he tugs him backwards, straining to get him closer. After a few tugs though, Dexter succeeds in getting Mandark's body close enough to where he could rest the boy's head on his lap.

"There….." Dexter pants softly, pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose, the stupid object having nearly fallen off as he strained to move the unconscious Mandark.

Picking the discarded garments back up, Dexter leaned forward, groaning at the pain the small gesture issued through his chest. After a minute of adjusting though, he was able to move again and cautiously covered his rival with the warm fabric of his sweater.

Mandark's head moved slightly, making Dexter blush, seeing as his head WAS on Dexter's lap. Dexter sputtered for a moment, his hands frozen where they were.

A few moments of awkward silence followed the incident, leaving a flustered Dexter to finish his task of covering up Mandark. Shaking Mandark's cape out and away from himself, he was easily able to cover Mandark with the garment, seeing as it had been made to be longer than he was tall.

Leaning back again gave Dexter a split second to examine his work, before a spiking shiver shot through his body. He still had forgotten to put his lab coat back on. The shiver then resulted in a cough, which brought blood up Dexter's abused throat. He spat it out on the ground, hacking for a short while. Each cough, each movement, it all HURT!

"Mother Boarder!" Dexter swore in a hoarse voice.

Forcing back the tears that were threatening to spill over, Dexter groped about blindly for a second, searching for his abandoned coat. Fingers finally brushed against coarse fabric, and Dexter picked up the discarded object, pulling it close. While still shivering, shaking, and supporting his unconscious rival, Dexter managed to slip his good arm into the coat without too much difficulty. How he was going to get his other arm in was another story. It was limp and lifeless at the moment, not to mention hurt too much to move it at all!

So Dexter leaned back over Mandark, and, using his teeth to rip the fabric, tore a strip of cloth from the expansive collar of Mandark's cape. Taking the piece of cloth, and again using his teeth, he was able to make a makeshift sling and slip it over his head.

"Now the hard part……" Dexter thought bitterly as he gingerly reached for his bad arm. Upon touching it, a spike of pain shot up through the nerves. Dexter winced, biting back a cry. "I can't wake Mandark!"

He quickly pushed the useless appendage through the fabric of the sling, then wrapped his right side up in his coat, pulling it folds as close to his body as possible.

Dexter sighed, his body finally coming to rest against the wall, his left arm resting on his lap.

Mandark stirred again, making Dexter look down. A smile tugged at his lips when he saw Mandark's color start to return, the shivers already seeming to have died down. He moved his cold, gloved hand to idly stroke Mandark's hair.

An hour passed like that, with both boys surrounded by complete silence. Mandark was starting to recover, but Dexter was slowly beginning to freeze. The constant contact with the icy cold wall was finally starting to get to him, his body now reduced to a mass of shivers. His breath came out in quick, white puffs, his lungs struggling to get in oxygen with this frigid air beginning to choke him.

"Stay awake, Dexter………You have to stay……awake………." His mind raged as he fought for consciousness, his hand still idly twirling Mandark's hair between his fingers. It had been a good strategy to keep him awake so far, but…..with lack of sleep, nutrition, and warm air, Dexter was beginning to lose his battle.

"Cold……….."

Dexter had managed to rasp out that word, that single word as his eyes began to droop.

His hand slipped off of Mandark's head and to the ground with a thump, his eyes slipping shut. Dexter managed to slur out another word before the cold finally took him from the grasp of consciousness.

"Man…dark……."

Then, quiet.

And Cold.

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Please Review! If you don't....well......Do you remember the movie "It"? Yeah......I'll be sending you to the place where everything floats........*rape face*


	8. Chapter 8: Change of Pace

Dear Readers and Reviewers:

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

****

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Chapter Eight: Change of Pace

Ben sighed audibly, plopping his body down on the cold steel of the burned out laboratory floor. They had finally managed to put out the fire, but it had taken them far too long in his opinion.

Number One was currently ordering the Fire Crew around.

Ben snorted as he watched the poor dregs run about the room, appearing to be "Chickens-with-there-heads-chopped-off". It was a bemusing sight… He had to admit it.

Number Two and Double D were staring intently at the cocoon, assessing the situation as best they could. But, both had a distinct tremor shaking through their bodies.

Number Five was near them as well, but she was currently kicking the side of the mass of steal angrily.

"Numbah Five thinks that we should start on this hunk of junk soon…" she grumbled, gaining agreeable nods from both of the nerdy mechanics who were beside her.

"I agree! Dexter and Mandark are more than likely injured from the explosion!" Double D piped.

"Or the collapse of the ceiling……" Number Two added.

Number Five and Double D glared at him, obviously not amused.

"What!? It's true….."

More glares, this time from Ben, Number One, and Mandy as well.

Number Two shrank back, eeping quietly. "I'll shut up now…."

"Good plan," came the collected cacophony of voices.

DeeDee was over at the massive double-doors…well……what was left of the double-doors to the Lab. She was in tears, worried sick over what her brother had been trapped against.

She was well aware of her brother's genius, more so than his parents had been. And, she was also hyper sensitive to any of his injuries, even though he was good at concealing them from the others. But, if people didn't know Dexter, they didn't know what signs to look for. DeeDee understood all of his mannerisms, knew when he was hiding things.

And, as a sister, she knew exactly when to be worried. She had always had a sense about her that told her when Dexter was in trouble.

_Dexter had been wedged against his locker at school, a massive brute holding him up by the collar. Dexter was sporting a blackened eye and several bruises._

_"Come on, Dorky! Fight back!" chuckled the brute in front of him._

_**"LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!"**_

_"Wha-…!?!" The bully was silenced as a harsh slap was issued to his face. He dropped Dexter, shocked that HE had been assaulted. _

_Dexter fell with a thump to the ground, groaning softly as he sank to the linoleum. His un-swollen eye roved up to gaze up at his older sister, watching in awe as she easily dispatched the brute._

_"Are you ok, Dexter?" she asked with the utmost concern, turning her body to loom over her baby brother. She offered him a hand._

_Dexter chuckled and reached a gloved hand to gingerly accept her offer. "I am now, dear sister. I am now…….."_

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_Dexter had his head downcast, staring sadly at the ground. He was walking alone along the sidewalk, pondering over his day. He sighed heavily._

_"DEXTER……..!!!!"_

_Dexter turned his head slightly, glancing grimly over his shoulder to watch as his older sister pranced her way over to him. She was happy, as always, and only dropped her smile when she saw the obvious disdain in her brother's demeanor._

_"What's wrong?......."_

_In a flash, DeeDee had him swept up in her arms, hugging his shaking form. She knew what was wrong now. Dexter never broke down like this…….That is, unless the bullying and loneliness finally caught up with him. She hugged him fiercely, trying to reassure him and hug away all his uneasiness._

_"It's ok……I've got you, Dexter……"_

_"Thank you, DeeDee…….."_

_"You know that __**I**__ love you, right?"_

_Dexter chuckled, wiping the tears from under his black-rimmed glasses. He just smiled up at DeeDee, nodding his head. "I know, DeeDee……….I know."_

"Girl! You listenin' ?!"

DeeDee snapped out of her reverie, and turned to see Abigail looking back at her.

"I'm sorry…….I was thinking about something. What did you say?" DeeDee asked, getting up from her seat to pseudo-waltz over to the group of friends.

"We're about to start the excavation………..come on!" Ben stated, moving over to the mound.

A team of KND operatives had brought down some excavation equipment and were getting it set up.

In the background, a pair of wary eyes was watching the whole exchange, the small luminescent orbs watching and calculating every movement, far too skittish to move away from the darkness that incased his body.

"Wait…………."

The plea was unheard, and unheeded, and the KND just kept up their work. The eye cast down and disappeared, the mind behind the eyes already working out a contingency plan.

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**Hope You Like The Story! Please Read and Review or I Shall Sick My Chibi Muse and His CRAZY WRENCH Upon You!**


	9. Chapter 9: On The Brink

**Chapter Nine: On the Brink**

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Mandark awoke with a long groan of pain, his lungs working to thaw from the icy air he had unwittingly ingested. Everything hurt, but for an odd reason, his mind registered that it was all thanks to the cold.

Too bad his mind was wrong in this case.

Once he was aware of his stiffness, Mandark tried to push himself into a sitting position, only to become aware that his entire body was tightly bound up in a familiar black cloth.

Mandark blinked owlishly down at the torn and tattered remnants of his old cape. "Hnn?" he muttered to himself, thoroughly confused and trying to regain his reign over his own thoughts. The crack he had taken to his skull was muddling over his thoughts and memories.

Letting his eyes rove over the twisted wreckage above him, he began to remember that he was trapped; and under ten feet of stone and enclosed in a tight space, no less. He chewed on his lip, not liking the situation in the least. The situation, in itself, was the very thing that got Mandark up to speed again.

Up above him, the rocks started to shift, and dirt began to tumble down onto him.

Fear assailed Mandark, giving his memories a "re-boot" of sorts. He began….to remember:

_He looked up just in time to catch the falling debris as it made a beeline for himself and Dexter._

_Thinking quickly, he rolled over, pushing Dexter's unconscious form beneath him as he did, using his own body as a shield as the rock and dust rained down onto them. None of the initial debris were big enough to really harm them, but as the final attack on the outside came careening into the interior of the dome, one chunk of rock fell from the ceiling, smashing into the side of his head._

Mandark jolted back to reality immediately, shouting at the invisible pain in his temple.

"Dexter!"

He twisted his head around, trying desperately to see if Dexter was alright, but the cloak that was tightly bound around his body kept him from moving correctly.

He growled, concentrating on freeing himself from his confines. A few more twists and odd turns, and he was able to loosen the fabric enough to where he could move again. He yanked his arm free and pushed himself up, the black cape finally falling freely to the ground below.

Before Mandark turned his head, he realized that it was _extremely_ cold, and a tremor raked down his spine immediately.

"Was it this cold before?" he thought, moving his head another 97 degrees to the left, bring his eyes level with Dexter's prone form.

His eyes widened another fraction.

Dexter skin was iced over, and a light blue in color. He was nearly frozen!

"Dexter!"

Struggling away from the makeshift blanket, revealing Dexter's black turtleneck sweater, Mandark tried to sit up completely.

Turning his eyes down, he spotted the turtleneck, and moved his hand down to gingerly lift the object from the ground. "This is……Dexter's sweater…….." Mandark mused, turning his head back around to look at Dexter with confusion alight in his eyes.

"He…..He made sure that I was alright………..That I was warm………." He muttered, lifting the black and red cape and the turtleneck from the ground. Carefully, he moved his stiff, sore, and cold body closer over to the prone scientist that he dared call his friend.

"Come on……..You have to wake up…….." he urged, raising his hand to gently rub at Dexter's cheek. He raised the other, still gripping the warm fabric in his fist, to gently stroke over the other cheek, trying to imbue some form of warmth into the near frozen boy.

Moving his hands in an up and down motion, he tried to get some warmth back into Dexter.

Minutes turned in hours, and all Mandark did was rub the fabric over Dexter's cold body parts, making sure that he was warming up.

Soon enough, Dexter groaned softly, twisting his head away from the warm cloth.

"Dexter! You're awake!" Mandark whispered, relieved beyond words.

"C-c…" Dexter choked on the word, shivering hard.

Being careful of Dexter's lifeless arm, Mandark slowly eased Dexter away from the cold wall. Dexter hissed when his back peeled away from the wall, his coat having done very little to keep him insulated.

"Dexter….Here……..Lean against me…….." Mandark urged in a hushed whisper, soothing him as well as commanding him.

Dexter shivered, the tone sending an odd sensation down his spine. It………excited him, almost.

Mandark pulled him close, easing him gently into his own lap, yanking the dust covered garments up off the ground to cover Dexter and himself.

Dexter snuggled closer to Mandark's body, shivering harder.

Mandark blushed, his breath catching in his throat. His eyes softened, and his arms rose, wrapping gently around Dexter's body from underneath the makeshift blankets. "Dexter…" he murmured, holding him tighter to himself.

Dexter sighed, his breath catching on the nape of Mandark's neck, causing the other boy to quake.

"D-Dexter….?"

Dexter looked up at Mandark, the blood on his lips shimmering in the odd lighting. "Y-y-es?"

Mandark gulped harder, gathering his courage.

"I…….I…."

"Wha's…w-wrong?" Dexter slurred, his speech building in strength.

"I…….." Mandark mumbled, turning red.

"Spit it out….Y-you can t-tell me…….."

"I………" Mandark gulped, closing his eyes tight.

When he opened them again, bright blue orbs, full of concern, met his gaze. His resolve hardened.

"I love you!" he blurted out.

Looking upwards, Dexter's eyes widened as he watched Mandark in disbelief and confusion.

"W-what…?"

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	10. Chapter 10: What Did You Say

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**Chapter Ten: What Did You Say?**

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"I…..I love you, Dexter…" Mandark murmured quietly, his voice not rising above a shy and hushed whisper.

Dexter continued to stare at Mandark, eyes fixated on the boy that usually commanded so much respect from everyone around him. He was looking at him, sensing every change in his demeanor, and he was starting to….._like_…….. what he saw.

Mandark had always seemed like the steadfast and strong willed, but now he was trembling with fear and excitement, waiting for the rejection that he knew would follow. He was so afraid, and so thrilled, that he was shaking, his breathing labored.

Dexter took in a deep breath. _He_ was in control. Mandark was……..vulnerable, something that Dexter had never dared to associate with the Master of Darkness.

Mandark turned his head, accepting his fate, a tear sliding down his face. He had finally lost to the boy that held his heart in the iron grip that Mandark dared to call affection.

Dexter's eyes snapped back to their original luster as he slowly reached out to gently cup Mandark's cheek. "Mandark?"

Mandark's breathing quickened, his heart hammering painfully against his ribs. "Y-y-es?"

Dexter smiled and turned him back around so that they were facing one another. "How long………Susan?" he asked.

Mandark took a sharp intake of breathe at the use of his birth name, eyes moving up to stare into Dexter's soft baby blues. Only Dexter could call him by that name, and, well, get away with it. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. But, Dexter offered him a tender, almost loving smile. The reassurance in that one gesture was all that Mandark needed.

"Just after our first union as partners….."

"Do you mean the day that DeeDee and Lala stole our prototypes for the new humanoid vehicles?"

Mandark nodded. "Yes! That was it..."

Dexter couldn't suppress the gentle laugh that came up. "I remember that…They were fighting over who was the better dancer, and who had the smarter brother……We were forced to take action against them because of the damage they were causing….We must have done something right though…….We did finally stop their fight with our superior skills in the bots."

"But we sure looked ridiculous…….Half a bot from both of our mangled ones…….But it was a thing of beauty. We got that clunker to work-…" Mandark started.

"And by working together we made…….it……." Dexter stared into Mandark's eyes, drinking him in. "…..work……"

Mandark gulped.

"You don't like me in that way….do you?....."

Dexter sighed. "Your right……"

Mandark choked on a sob, turning his eyes away. This was the rejection that he was waiting for.

"Your right…..I don't like you Mandark……" Dexter whispered, turning his body in a way that allowed him to cup Mandark's face again. He pulled him slowly, easing his body to a position where he was turned to face him.

Dexter moved his thumb slowly over the arch of Mandark's cheekbone, up to his eyes, where it gently rubbed away at the tears under Mandark's now red and puffy eyes.

The movement was so soothing, and gentle, that Mandark slowly lowered his guard, another thing that he rarely did. He looked down at Dexter with a look not akin to desperation.

Dexter answered that look by leaning closer to the boy that held his body in his own arms. He sidled closer into Mandark's lap, causing Mandark to blush heavily.

"I don't like you, Mandark…………" he whispered, leaning even closer. Their lips were so close to touching, and Mandark twitched, the feeling of Dexter's breath hot on his neck and chin.

"I love you…….." Dexter whispered, inching closer.

Mandark's eyes filled with tears as he closed the gap between himself and the object of his tender affections.

Their lips met. It was such a tender, loving, short, sweet kiss…..Neither of the boys was demanding, and neither pressed for more. They were mutual in understanding, both of them yearning for that simple understanding.

That kiss held the answer to so many of their questions, and each question was easily and readily quelled. It wasn't passionate, yet it held such molten desire that it left Dexter's lips tingling. And Mandark wasn't so far off from his partner.

The embrace was only a mere matter of seconds in length, but to Mandark it was a lifetime. He felt as if he was making up for all of the hate and guile that he had posed against this magnificent person in his arms. But it wasn't enough.

But there was bound to be many more times to make up for the many lifetimes that he owed Dexter………

They broke apart slowly, Dexter's eyes starting to mist with tears of understanding.

"Mandark…." He whimpered softly, breaking down in the same way that his counterpart had done only moments before.

Mandark smiled and pulled him close, crushing him in a hug. "Dexter….."

Dexter sniffed, looking up at him. "I've been ….so _alone_, Mandark……."

Mandark nuzzled his head against Dexter's. "Shh….Dexter……. Don't cry. It's alright……." He tried to console, running his fingers through Dexter's soft locks, pulling his torn body closer.

Dexter shook his head. "I've been so alone, for….so long….Mandark. Being as smart as I am….I had no peers…..my closest friends were few and far between……Bullies always picked me out and……Even you……I……"

"That's all….in the past now, Dexter…..I can't imagine how much isolation you felt when we weren't bickering away at each other…..And I can't even recollect the number of times I stood on the side lines, watching as those brutes from school did horrid things to you. I felt as if my heart was being rent in two on each occasion……At that time…I didn't understand the sensation, but-…"

Dexter stopped his speech mid-sentence by placing one of his uninjured fingers to Mandark's lips. "Stop…..you have no need to explain………You know, if it weren't for the Professor…I……"

Mandark frowned, holding him close to his heart. " Dexter……The Professor loves you-"

Dexter gripped onto Mandark's shirt, shaking his head slowly from side to side.

"He doesn't love you!?" Mandark gasped, confused.

Dexter shook his head again. "That's not what I meant!........I meant that the Professor loves me….but only as a father……………..Mandark………..YOU love me in a different way………You…..make me feel…………….._complete_………" Dexter choked.

Mandark smiled, nuzzling Dexter again. "Dexter……..you complete me as well……….You have alleviated the loneliness in my heart as well………Dexter……..Will you join me……?"

Dexter was confused. "In what?"

Mandark smirked. "In my loneliness……….Lets be lonely……together."

Finally, and for the first time that Mandark could remember since this whole Fusion invasion began, Dexter smiled. It wasn't a smile that he reserved for clients; that little forced smile that always took so much effort to force out. Nor was it the smile that he reserved especially for his old family; that forcibly twisted smile that held no meaning whatsoever. And it wasn't the smile that lit his face when he was with the Utoniums or his sister, Dee Dee; his special smile that was full of joy and hope.

No…….This was a different smile.

It was a smile that was genuine, and full of love. A smile that Dexter now reserved for one person, a smile that he used to use when he completed a masterpiece of metal works, or when he played on his piano.

It was a smile now reserved for Mandark, and only Mandark.

His smile……….

Mandark sighed happily and tugged the garments that were covering himself and his new boyfriend, snuggling the pair closer together to stave off the lingering cold.

But the frigid air was starting to warm over, and the newly joined power couple were soon enveloped by warmth instead of icy cold, for just outside the barrier Dexter's elder sister and the Earth's finest were working to free them from the cocoon of metal.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~


	11. Chapter 11: Technical Difficulties

Dear Readers and Reviewers:

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

**Chapter Eleven: Technical Difficulties**

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~**

"How's it going, Double D?" Ben called up to the cockpit of a massive Crane and Winch combo that the mini-genius had put together on short notice.

Double D looked down in the general direction of the call, a pair of welder's goggles covering his eyes.

"I'm almost through! But this is some delicate work……..One false move and I might cause a rockslide…" Double D eeped.

Ben chuckled nervously. "No pressure, huh?"

Behind Ben the other KND officers were moving away the rubble away with the help of a few of Dexter's and Mandark's special force of robots, at least the ones that could be spared, seeing as the majority of them were on the job.

Ben turned around to the others, looking over at Nigel.

The Supreme Commander of the KND turned his saddened gaze over at Ben. "What's wrong?"

Ben sighed heavily. "My best friend is in there…..and………I'm worried."

Number One nodded. "I know how you feel…….Dexter is my friend as well, even if he doesn't realize it…….."

Ben smiled. "You know…….that really does help to lift my spirits….I wonder if Dex knows how much he's missed out here on the outside…….."

This is where Nigel smirked knowingly. "I think that he does know….But I think that we are outing a key factor to Dexter's sanity……."

Ben made a face, confused. "What do you mean?"

Uno chuckled. "You'll see if we ever get those two out……"

Ben stared as the other boy walked off to get some of the other workers to get back to digging, confused and unable to comprehend what the other had meant.

"Too bad the Professor and the girls are out on business…..We could really use the help….." Ben sighed to himself, moving back over to the wall to wait, seeing as the equipment and movement jobs were taken.

"WOAH!"

Ben shot to his feet, the distinct rumble of moving rock startling the boy as he turned in the direction of the exclamation.

Number Two, who was in charge of using the DIGGER system, was trying to stop the drilling mechanism of the machine. It had started to malfunction, and was digging straight through the upper dome of the cocoon, which Double D had warned against before any of the digging had started.

"Stop the damn drill, Number 2!" Ben shouted up at the disheveled operative.

Number 2's eyes shifted about in fear, perfectly aware that he could very well be the death of the two genii in the dome. "I can't! The mechanism's shot!" he replied, desperately grabbing at the brake and the kill switch. Nothing was working.

Other operatives gathered round and watched as the canopy rock started to tumble down the pile, startling everyone with its horrifying din.

Double D was quick to the uptake and used the crane of his machine to stave off the DIGGER and used its bulk and ability to push the machine away from the wall.

"Get out of the DIGGER Number 2!" Number 1 shouted as he pushed his way to the front of the mob.

Number 2 yelped as the DIGGER rocked away from the rocks and quickly abandoned ship, leaping to safety just in time. Double D slammed the crane into the digger, repeating the process again and again, until the DIGGER was knocked on its side and out of commission.

But the damage had been done, and Ben looked on in horror as the left wall of the dome started to cave. He slapped the dial of the Omnitrix as he ran over to the wall, transforming into Four Arms for the first time in the years since he had gained Spider Monkey, Swamp Fire, Wild Vine, and Big Chill.

Using all of his strength, Four Arms slammed his weight into the rock wall, and held firm as the rock still tumbled down beside the large alien. All seemed lost……

Four Arms' strength wasn't working……

In the darkness just beyond the mob, out of sight of all the rest of operatives and collected friends, the eyes from before and the tiny voice that accompanied watched the horror unfold. The owner shook its head and blinked away its existence, disappearing once more into darkness.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Mandark's head bobbed, and he awoke abruptly, looking around in confusion.

"Dexter?...." he mumbled, only remembering the blissful moment that they had shared only hours before. He glanced around, disgruntled and confused as to why there was so much dust in the air. He groaned softly.

A soft cough broke the silence that had enveloped the pair, and Mandark, after jumping, turned his head and wide eyes down towards the lump that was currently curled up on his chest.

A smile made it to his lips. There was his beloved Dexter, curled up and sleeping on his chest.

He let out a sigh of relief, but the relief was soon replaced by a strong sense of fear.

A loud whirring noise erupted from somewhere just beyond the walls. It started as dull, but soon become a dull roar, then a loud thundering crash of rock on metal.

Mandark shook away his fear and slowly began to realize that the noise had to mean that help was on its way. Throwing the makeshift covers aside, Mandark shifted his weight and slowly began to shake Dexter in the hopes of awakening him.

"Dexter! Wake up!.........The others are trying to rescue us!" he cried.

Dexter groaned softly and shifted on Mandark's chest, causing the other boy to groan gently from the added weight to his lungs.

"Dexter…….Come on…….You aren't very heavy, and despite the fact that I love the fact that your laying on me, but you must get off of me….It's getting hard to breathe…….." Mandark teased.

Dexter mumbled something, his baby blue irises opening a fraction. Slowly, he tried to sit up, but his injured arm made the process difficult.

Sensing his distress, Mandark slowly hefted him to a sitting position.

Once upright, Dexter looked around, blinking owlishly to clear his vision. His cracked glasses made the image of Mandark disjointed and distorted in one eye, so he focused through the other lens. Too bad that this predicament made Dexter's already existent headache much worse, making him wobble in place for a moment.

"Nnnnghh……Mandark?......" Dexter asked.

Mandark smiled happily, and nodded. "Yes, Dexter my sweet. I'm here……"

"What's happening?" Dexter asked, looking around as best he could, the dust making his breathing heavier. He coughed heavily, a few droplets of blood falling from his lips.

Mandark moved his cloak up to cover Dexter's mouth as he did this, and he continued on with his explanation. "I believe we're being rescued……….We're go-"

A massive jolt shook the ground and a dull roar issued from the rocks above, effectively cutting Mandark off.

"What Was That!?" he continued, now thrown for a loop. He swiveled his frightened eyes upwards.

Dexter's eyes filled with fear as a rock tumbled down to land nearby, causing him to jump. "The rocks are caving in!"

"We'll be crushed! What Are Thos MORONS Doing!?!" Mandark squeaked, his fear betraying him at the moment.

"Something must have malfunctioned…." Dexter whispered, scooting closer to his only protection.

Mandark gladly took up the position as shield and pulled Dexter closer. "Just my luck…..and just after I finally got up the courage to ask you…….." Mandark sighed sadly, snuggling his Dexter closer in his arms.

Another rock slammed to the ground nearby, crushing Dexter's abandoned lab coat underneath it and sloshing a massive amount of dust into the air. Yet another fell just to the right of them, causing Dexter to yelp in fear.

"I don't want to die, Mandark! I just found my soul mate…." Dexter cried out, clutching his good hand to Mandark's chest. Tears were now cascading down his face, both from the hopelessness of the situation and from the pain in his wounds.

Mandark turned a saddened gaze down at the boy he so loved. "I know……but I'll never leave you, Dextter….Never……..and nothing or no one person can take me from your arms…….." Mandark said, consoling Dexter as well as he could despite the tone of fear to his usually strong voice.

Dexter smiled up at him as another rock fell at the far end of the dome, tears still cascading down his cheeks. "Promise me something….."

"Anything……" Mandark gasped out.

"If we do make it out of this…………..We're going on….a…a real date……"

Dexter was blushing, despite the blatant danger to his life at the moment, and the gesture was not lost to Mandark, who blushed just as much.

"I swear it……….." Mandark promised.

A cracking noise erupted from just underneath the boys, and each looked down in turn with equal looks of dread.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

**There it is! Finally I'm back to udating! Two More Chappys to go! Review or I will get into my cosplay suit and whack you all with my wrench!**


	12. Chapter 12: Tumbling Down

Dear Readers and Reviewers:

Disclaimer: I DO NOT Own Fusion Fall Nor Any Of The Characters Herein. I do however lay claim to the scenario and all (if any) OC's, but I rarely add them in so don't worry. I hope you all enjoy! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Content Warning: Shonen-ai. No like, no read! Gore too….so M just to be safe.

Preveiw: While inside the lab, working on an invention, Dexter is visited by a certain black-haired mad scientist. But, while trying to extricate his arch-nemesis, Billy is chased in by Dee Dee, who is raving about the lunatic stealing her ribbon. Could the resulting catastrophe bring these arch-rivals together after years of bickering? Shonen-ai. Fluff. Dexter/Mandark. *Squee!*

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

**Chapter Twelve: Tumbling Down**

**~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The floor beneath Dexter and Mandark suddenly started to give way, large slabs of concrete erupting upwards from the epicenter of damage.

Dexter was tossed to the side, but Mandark's grip was like iron on Dexter's good hand, and he was able to jerk him up into his own lap. "Dexter!"

"Please! Don't let go!" Dexter pleaded as the ground rumbled again.

"Hold on tight!" Mandark commanded, his breathing labored. He choked on a half-sob, his pupils dilating as the horror mounted and the enclosed space began to dwindle further inward.

The floor gave another mighty heave and another slab jutted up from under them. Dust and concrete bits flew up, scattering about the dark reaches of the cocoon.

Twin whimpers echoed faintly in the din of falling debris and cracking concrete.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

"Stop it!" Ben cried to Double D.

Double D desperately pulled at the controls, trying to reverse the pull. "I CAN'T!" he cried out in horror. His eyes widened, pupils dilating. "This can't be happening….." he whimpered.

Ben turned wild and desperate eyes to the others present.

"HELP! ANYONE!" he screamed. Tears started to course down his face, the dome rock beneath his fingers caving in in his grasp. The omnitrix began to beep, flashing as it started to power down.

"NO! WHY NOW!?" he cried out desperately, turning back into his human form. He scrambled back away from the rock, staring as the rocks and iron and concrete began to sink.

"DEXTER! MANDARK!" everyone screamed, in near perfect unison.

As the cry went out, an explosion erupted from behind the forces of Earth, forcing all eyes to divert and land on the smoldering crater that the explosion behind had produced.

"What the fuc-.." Mandy cursed, her eyes looking for the source of the blast.

Everyone's eyes widened as two bright blue orbs lit up in the darkness within the mass of flying debris and dust. Everyone leapt backwards, reaching for their guns.

"The hell!?!......A Fusion!?" Nigel asked, firing a warning shot into the darkness.

A bright light erupted from the orbs and then shot past the others, knocking Number Two and Ben onto the ground, before disappearing into the dwindling mass that housed the genii, leaving everyone in a daze.

"What was that?" Ben breathed.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Dexter and Mandark huddled closer as the final lurch shook the ground of the destroyed laboratory. Cracks flowed outwards from their bodies, like the web of spider, slowly flowing out into the pitch black of the darkness beyond.

Another rumble, a scream, and both genii were pitched into the darkness below and beyond the help of the others, the concrete that had been housing them for hours falling into the abyss right beside them.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

The agents of Earth looked on in horror as the dome slowly diminished into a small orb of rock and twisted smoking wreckage, sorrow taking over their emotions and pitching everyone into despair.

"Dexter…." Ben sighed, falling to his knees.

The other children all bowed their heads in respect. Number Five removed her hat, and even Number one paid his respects by removing his black shades.

Tears trickled down onto the concrete below, raining down from the cheeks of the friends that watched. Droplet after crystalline droplet pattered earthward as the hopes for Earth's survival left skyward with the souls of the departed.

Today was a dark day for Planet Earth………..Today the Earth's best hope for survival against the diabolical fuse had been snatched away by a dreadful accident…….

Dexter and Mandark were gone……..

Ben sobbed softly and slammed his fist down into the ground below him. "Damn it!"

Electricity surged from the dome, showering sparks down onto the children that was watching, the rocks jettisoning out and away from the original dome. Smoke erupted from the explosion site, choking everyone within range.

Out from the darkness, just as the dust and smoke began to settle back onto the ground, a massive dome of electrical blue light shimmered.

Eyes lit up, and cries of joy and confusion rang out.

There….inside the ball of electrostatic energy….was Dexter and Mandark, bruised and scared out of their wits, but alive.

Floating in the middle of the dome, hovering just above the genii, was a small figure, his bright blue, baby-doll eyes alight, hands outstretched to keep the shield alight.

"A-…a Nano!?" Nigel studdered.

"That's Energy Saver!" Double D observed, being an expert on Nano attacks and abilities.

"It's a-….." Number Two studdered, amazed.

"A Dexter Nano!" everyone cried in unison.

As to form, a tiny version of their resident genius was holding the other two in a Energy Saver sphere. A perfect, miniature copy of Dexter McPhearson, a highly rare version of the Nano breed, seeing as the Fusion version of Dexter was a BITCH to kill.

Dexter blinked in Mandark's hold, and finally got up the courage to look up at their savior.

"G-gadget!? H-…How did you get out of your stasis-tube?"

Mandark blinked. "Gadget?" He looked up at the tiny thing above him.

The little guy looked down, smiling happily.

"My Crio-Tube was damaged in the explosion, Master. I woke up to shouts…..So I went to see what was going on….Everyone was going crazy, and I tried to stop them from doing anything….but-…….well……" Gadget replied, his adorably high squeek of a Russian lilt causing Mandark to smile.

"You know that he is horribly adorable……" Mandark whispered.

By this time, Gadget had gotten them over the ground.

"HEY! I am not!" Gadget squeaked, letting the boys drop to the ground, Mandark landing first, with Dexter landing on top of him.

"Oof! Hey!" Mandark groaned.

Dexter cried out in pain, little flecks of blood dribbling down his cheek. The red caused Mandark to quickly act, helping Dexter to sit up.

"Ooops……..Sorry, Sir." Gadget apologized, moving to hover over the two.

The shock of the event died, and Ben rushed to their sides. "You guys alright!? You scared the shit out of us!" Ben scolded.

Number One moved over to help with Dexter. "It looks like Dexter got the brunt of the injuries…….Are you alright Mandark?"

Mandark nodded, rubbing the back of his head. "I think so….But I took a nasty crack to the head…."

"We'll get you both to medbay……..You can explain what happened there……." Double D said, smiling down at the two.

Mandy joined the group soon afterwards, smirking down at the pair. "It's good to have you two back……….I want you both up and working in no less than a week……."

Mandark gulped, chuckling nervously. "As you command……"

Dexter managed a small smile.

Dee Dee rushed them next, pulling her injured brother into a gentle hug after prying him free from Mandark's iron grip. "I Was So Worried!" she sobbed, smothering him in affection.

Dexter gagged, pain erupting from his arm and chest. "Dee Dee!" he pleaded.

Mandark rescued him from her grasp, and cradled him gently in his arms. "No offense….but Dexter is injured…." Mandark explained, hoping he hadn't offended her.

She gasped. "I'm so sorry, Dexter! I didn't mean-.."

Dexter waved away her apologies, smiling wanly through his pain. "It's alright, dear sister……..I'll be fine……"

Mandark chuckled. "Nothing some good old Demerol and Finnegrin can't fix, aye love?"

Everyone's jaws dropped.

"What!?"

Dexter and Mandark turned their heads, looking like they were deer caught in the headlights.

"Oops….." Mandark muttered.

Then came the questions, but everyone was halted when Mandy screamed for their silence.

Dexter turned a tired eye to Mandy, smiling his thanks.

Mandark mouthed his thanks as well.

"Come on……Let's get you guys to the medbay already……." Ben said, helping the pair to their unsteady feet.

"Many thanks, Benjamin……" Mandark said, pulling a very tired, and very worn, Dexter closer to him, Gadget floating above their heads with a worried smile on his lips.

With a crowd of friends around them, and a Nano in their midst, the group of Earth's finest made their way to the medbay, where they all would get some much needed R&R.

Good ole Rest and Relaxation.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

**The End. Or is it............ One More Chappy to come! Review or Gadget will come and get you!**


	13. Epilogue: May the Healing Begin

**Chapter Thirteen: (Epilogue) May The Healing Begin**

Dexter let out a soft cough as he leaned back into the downy pillows of the hospital bed behind him. He was covered in bandages and had his eyes tiredly set upon the sleeping form of his boyfriend.

Mandark was sleeping soundly in the chair right beside his bed, his cheek and head bandaged up as well. Resting silently in his arms was the sleeping form of the tiny nano, Gadget. He had expended all of his energy trying to save his master from a crushing fate. (A.N. Pun intended….Heheh!)

Dexter looked up as someone knocked on the door to the hospital room. He cleared his hoarse throat and softly beckoned the knocker into the room. "Enter…" he sighed quietly.

Ben smiled as he poked his head through the door. "Hey Dex…how you doing?" he asked excitedly.

Dexter shushed him harshly, his head nodding over to the side to alert Ben to the sleeping forms beside the bed.

Ben pursed his lips. "Sorry…" he apologized as he and Nigel Uno entered the room.

"I brought Nigel with me…he was worried about you…." Ben explained quietly.

Nigel nodded his bald head in greeting. "It's good to have you back safely, Dexter…."

Dexter smiled at his two friends tiredly and let himself sink into the pillows. "It's good to be back….It's even better than before….if you'll believe me…"

Ben smirked. "No doubt it's because of a certain sleeping genius…." he added coyly.

Dexter glared. "Don't poke fun! Mandark saved me many a time in that metal prison….." he hissed.

Ben raised his hands in defense. "Woah! Sorry…I was only joking…..So…..What's going to happen now, fearless leader?"

"Fusion was silent during your absence, but I doubt that it will last very long…" Nigel interjected.

Dexter nodded, resting his head in his hand. "I know…But now we have twice the fire power and twice the intellect to back it up at least…."

"We had that before…didn't we….?" Ben asked.

Dexter shook his head gingerly, still hurt from the escapade in the cocoon.

"No….. Mandark and I were always at each other's throats before all of this..." Dexter mused.

Ben nodded. "True that…"

"I'm really interested in this little guy here….Gadget, was it?" Nigel asked, looking over the slumbering nano on Mandark's chest.

Dexter smiled, looking over at the nano in question.

"Yes. His name is Gadget. I made him as the newest version of my super computers. He's portable, and is the strongest weapon in my newest line. He is also the most advanced version of the Dexter nano. His abilities know little boundaries, and I have him programmed with the full array of attacks, commands, and capabilities of any and all other nano's in existence. All sewn up in a neat and fun loving little package…." Dexter explained, his voice getting hoarser as he went.

Nigel nodded; impressed by the enhancements the little guy was created with.

"Geeze Dex….you don't half-ass anything, do you?" Ben chuckled as he went to sit near the bed.

Dexter let out a half-laugh.

"I guess I don't…" he rasped, leaning back into the pillows.

Ben tutted as he pushed Dexter further back, so that he was now laying down fully on the Med-Bay bed.

"You should get so sleep…You've been through hell….." Nigel said , moving back to the door.

Ben nodded his agreement. "Yeah….take a hint from your "man", Dex….." Ben joked, nodding his head in Mandark's general direction.

Dexter could only muster a glare in response, but he obeyed and laid his head back down onto the pillows.

Ben got up and moved to the door.

"Get well soon, Dex!" he said as he left the room, turning off the lights as he did.

Dexter smiled and closed his eyes, feeling safe for the first time in ages.

"Dad's going to kill me when he hears about all of this…" he muttered before he closed his baby blue eyes, and went swiftly to sleep.

~*~*~* =(^3^)= *~*~*~

Dexter floundered about, his eyes covered by a velvet cloth blindfold. He chuckled as he held his hands out in front of him. "Mandark….Isn't this a bit much?" he asked.

Mandark laughed softly and offered the blinded Dexter a hand.

Dexter gladly gripped onto the lifeline.

Mandark smiled and pulled Dexter forward a step. "Nothing is too extravagant for you, my love….. Just follow me…I won't let you fall…."

He led Dexter slowly down the hallway, and into a room where there was a cool breeze blowing against his cheeks.

"Can I look now….?" Dexter asked, reaching up to try and remove the cover on his eyes.

Mandark snapped his fingers.

The lights dimmed and a slow moving song filled the air, causing Dexter to gasp.

"Now….." Mandark said softly, helping Dexter to remove the blindfold.

Dexter blinked as his eyes adjusted once again, and his gasp was followed by a sharp intake of air.

It was…

"It's breath-taking…."Dexter sighed, looking around. They were in a magnificent atrium, filled with beautiful exotic plants of all types. In front of them was a table, covered in dark blue satin. Candles littered the atrium, giving off the soft light that Dexter was able to see, and, in the background, played "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias.

"Is that….?"

Mandark nodded, helping Dexter to his seat. "Yep…..I thought that it was appropriate…"

Dexter smirked. "It is….It is most appropriate…..Is this going to be o-….our song, Mandark…..?"

Mandark thought about it for a moment. "I guess it is…" he chuckled.

"Mandark…..when did you..?"

"I had it built as soon as we we're safely out of the wreckage…It's well…..a present….." Mandark said sheepishly as he took his seat.

Dexter gave him an odd look. "Th-…..this is all….for me?" he asked.

Mandark smiled.

"Do you like it?..." he asked, blushing a light pink color.

Dexter blushed heavily as he averted his eyes, a sweet smile ascending onto his cherubic features.

Mandark's face fell. "You don't like it…."

"I love it, Mandark…it's…one of the best presents that I have ever received…." Dexter said quietly, content with blushing and staring at the lush grass beneath him.

Mandark smiled.

"But that's not all….." he informed, clapping his hands.

Mandark never went with anything that was any less than extravagant, and this was one of those times. Out from the opposite end of the atrium appeared a few cooks laden with trays of food, most of which were intricate and also….

Some of Dexter's favorite foods, including: strawberries, sushi, broccoli, etc.

Dexter was speechless, and could only watch as the cooks dished out food of all types, and left them a tray table with the extra food on it so that they could get more if they wanted to. Then, Mandark's head chef appeared and filled their glasses with Dexter's and Mandark's favorite drink, Ginger Ale.

Dexter was, well, impressed. "You didn't have to do all of this, Mandark….." he whispered.

"I believe I did…We did agree that we had to go out on a date…..I wanted our first one to be, well…special…" Mandark sighed, blushing as he smiled happily over the table to Dexter, who averted his eyes with a happy look on his face.

"Then…..you did splendidly, my love…" Dexter agreed. He turned back over to Mandark and raised his glass. "To us?"

Mandark smiled and raised his glass. "To us…..and a better tomorrow….."

Dexter laughed. "Agreed!"

Both lifted their cups, and with a light clinging noise, they toasted to a future that they hoped would come, and a relationship that they knew would flourish.

~*~*~*~*~*~=(^3^)=~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Thank you sooooo much for diligently watching for my updates everyone. And even thougha lot has happened, I have already started on a sequel forKYEC, which will be premiering in about a month. Hope you all continue to love the fluff and gore!


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